ٱلسَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ

Thank you for taking your time to visit my JustGiving page.

I am fundraising for Journey Maa because I believe every mother plays a fundamental role in shaping the next generation. Every mother and baby deserve to have the best quality of life and care. My mum underwent 3 caesareans herself, and her fortitude, values and ethical guidance have played a pivotal role in shaping my current achievements. My mum was fortunate to receive healthcare in England, however on the other side of the world many Bangladeshi women are losing their lives due to the climbing rates of poverty, poor infrastructure, resources and a lack of education. This needs to change.

As a dental student and being Charity Rep for Leeds Bengali Society last year, I developed a huge passion for global health issues, especially for those in Bangladesh. Oral health issues are predominant in countries like Bangladesh, and poor oral health can lead to an increased vulnerability in developing gingivitis; if severe, pregnant mothers could develop systemic infections in the head and neck region. According to the World Health Organisation, women in Bangladesh are 21 times more likely to die from maternal causes compared to the UK.

Embarking on JourneyMaa will enable me to see first-hand the adversity but also the dire strength that these mothers in Bangladesh hold. Educating mothers extends beyond individual impact; it is like educating the whole generation, the knowledge can be continuously passed down which means we can prevent and stop the progression of diseases. Access to education, a privilege we often overlook and take for granted, enables us to transform our lives—an opportunity that, unfortunately, is not always available to Bangladeshi women. Through JourneyMaa I hope to expand my clinical knowledge as well as be able to teach what I learn to the underprivileged in society and become the voice for those in need.

Caring for the needy is a vital part of my faith and Islam stresses the significance of respecting and honouring mothers as they are seen as the primary caregivers and educators in a child's life. JourneyMaa will help me to build empathy and develop a sense of social responsibility to promote the care of vulnerable mothers and take action in reducing maternal mortality. This is an opportunity that will help me to become a catalyst for positive change in society.

Maa is a grassroots charity striving to improve the dire situation in resource-poor settings to bring about safe, effective, high quality maternal health care. To facilitate JourneyMaa, Maa has established strong links with local universities, medical professionals and healthcare students with the aim of providing long-term sustainable maternal care in rural areas of Bangladesh.

JourneyMaa offers UK students and young professionals the opportunity to travel to Bangladesh to:

- Provide educational workshops for mothers and local communities on safe delivery and maternal healthcare

- Oversee the essential life-saving work done at Maas Maternal Health Clinics

- Gain first-hand clinical experience of maternal care in urban and rural resource-poor settings

Money raised will go towards facilitating the Maa healthcamps that are run as part of JourneyMaa 2024.

You can help us change the lives of countless mothers. Please support our ground-breaking work.

Please donate and share my JustGiving page. You can help make a difference.

Thank you,

Saima 🇧🇩❤️